Aussies have rated ALDI Activ Energy as the top choice in Canstar Blue’s latest battery ratings, with five-star reviews for packaging convenience, value for money and overall satisfaction.
Our review compares batteries on customer satisfaction, so you can find out what other Aussies think about the compared brands before you go ahead with a purchase. Think of it as like asking hundreds of your closest mates which batteries they think are best!
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,995 Australians for their feedback on household batteries they’ve purchased and used in the last six months.
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
• ALDI Activ Energy
Duracell
Varta
Energizer
Eveready
Coles
Chevron
Anko (Kmart)
Find more detailed information on our Most Satisfied Customer methodology.
ALDI received five stars in overall satisfaction, value for money and packaging convenience beating out the other brands for top spot. It also rated four stars for effectiveness and variety & range.
ALDI is known for its discounted groceries and products, and its batteries are no different. With its range consisting of AA, AAA, C, D and 9V batteries you’ve got plenty to stock up with. If you’ve just got a lot of appliances that need powering, ALDI AA batteries can be purchased in 50pks, with rechargeable AA and AAA batteries and chargers also available on shelves.
Duracell received five stars for effectiveness and variety & range, four stars for overall satisfaction and packaging convenience as well as a three star rating for value for money.
Founded more than 80 years ago, American brand Duracell is famous in Australia for its advertisements featuring racing pink rabbits. Covering the full spectrum of household battery types, including alkaline, rechargeable, button, speciality batteries, power banks and even batteries for hearing aids, you’ll likely be able to find what you need when you look at the Duracell range.
Varta achieved four stars for overall satisfaction, effectiveness and value for money. It also received three star ratings for packaging convenience and variety & range.
Offering four different types of regular household batteries, plus rechargeable, coin, camera and hearing aid batteries, German producer Varta isn’t likely to be the first brand you’d think of when the remote calls it quits. But it offers a number of options to potentially make it your next go-to brand. In the regular household battery range, the options include: ‘Long Life’ for long-lasting energy in devices such as clocks, remotes and radios; ‘High Energy’ for devices with greater power demands such as torches and computer mouses; ‘Max Tech’ to meet the precise energy demands of cameras and gaming electronics; and ‘Lithium’ for professional tier quality power such as for cameras and GPS devices.
Energizer was rated five stars for variety & range as well as effectiveness, with four stars for overall satisfaction, and three stars for value for money and packaging convenience.
Another big brand with a memorable mascot, Energizer’s range covers alkaline, rechargeable, coin, speciality and hearing aids batteries, available in AA, AAA, C, D as well as 9V, ideal for whatever you need to power around the house. In addition to batteries, Energizer also offers chargers, allowing you to stay charged while on the go.
Eveready gained four star ratings for overall satisfaction, effectiveness, packaging convenience and variety & range. It also received three stars for value for money.
The Eveready product range covers the most common household batteries, with two types of single-use batteries as well as rechargeable batteries. Eveready Gold alkaline batteries are for low to moderate energy drain devices, while Eveready Super Heavy Duty carbon zinc batteries are best for low energy drain devices. Eveready rechargeable batteries come in a choice of AA and AAA, as well as a wall charger which fits two AA or AAA batteries at a time.
Coles brand of batteries received a four star rating for overall satisfaction and effectiveness and three star ratings for value for money, packaging convenience and variety & range.
The supermarket brand covers the full range of standard household alkaline batteries, plus rechargeable AA and AAA batteries. Coles offers affordable options for keeping your devices switched on, but price isn’t the only factor to consider. There are two, four and 10 packs available within the line-up.
Chevron achieved four stars for value for money, packaging convenience and variety & range. It also received three stars for overall satisfaction and effectiveness.
Woolworths’ private label batteries come in a choice of standard alkaline, heavy-duty, and super heavy-duty types. These cover the standard household range of AA, AAA, C, D, 9V and 6V lantern batteries, with an adaptor pack also available. Chevron batteries are available in packs of four, 10 and 24.
Kmart’s Anko brand of batteries received a four star rating for value for money and three star ratings across the other categories including overall satisfaction, effectiveness, packaging convenience and variety & range
Marketed under the Anko range, Kmart’s brand of batteries includes carbon zinc AA and AAA batteries, along with coin and button batteries, in addition to high-performance alkaline batteries. The double AA and AAA batteries come in packs of 18 and 24, while coin and button batteries are in sets of four.
While it’s tempting to simply let the price tag make the decision in which brand of battery you put in your shopping trolley, there are a number of areas to consider, including pack size and what the battery is made of, before you take your pack to the checkout.
Alkaline batteries have a higher capacity than carbon zinc batteries, meaning they’ll generally last longer, but may also be pricier as a result. Similarly, most AA and AAA batteries are sold in multi-packs, with 23% of survey respondents generally buying the largest pack of batteries available.
E-waste, which includes batteries, laptops and chargers, is banned in landfill in Australia meaning you cannot put them in your regular household bin. The best way to dispose of your batteries properly is to take them to a local recycling facility. Find your local battery recycling centre and drop off your batteries so they can be disposed of correctly. If you’re keeping batteries at home before taking them to a recycling centre, ensure you’re storing them safely. Tape the ends of the battery with sticky tape to reduce the risk of sparking and store them in a glass container, with the lid off, in a cool place. Always keep batteries out of reach of children and pets.
This report was written by Canstar Blue’s Home & Lifestyle Content Producer Kate King. Kate holds a Bachelor of Creative Industries from QUT majoring in Journalism and Media and Communications, and has written for a number of publications over the past five years.
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Here are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s battery ratings:
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